Do people actually read all the books they recommend? I often tell people books are good, esp. books on some mathematical topic, without having read the entire thing myself, just selected parts as my inclination takes me. In fact, there are almost no textbooks I've read straight through.
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I don't read whatever people recommend to me; I prioritize what's available based on what I think will have the greatest impact on me. But whatever I do read, I try to read it all the way through. Books have layers, like an onion. Each time you read a book, you peel back another layer of meaning. The first time I read a book, I don't let myself get hung up on what I don't understand; I just keep reading until I've reached the end. Then, if the book is really worth re-reading, I'll do it, and pay more attention to the details. You can get through a lot of tough material that way, and get 85-90% of the benefits as you would just sitting there, trying to grok every. Single. Word.
I do the same. I also have the philosophy that a book worth reading is worth re-reading. Sadly, you have to read it the first time without knowing if it will be worth reading at all.
Paul Graham wrote an essay on this: http://www.paulgraham.com/know.html
I never recommend a book I haven't read in its entirety.